#2 Mount Union Rolls Over John Carroll in OAC Opener, 51-7

UNIVERSITY HEIGHTS, Ohio—No. 2 ranked Mount Union scored
on each of its first four possessions and forced three John Carroll
turnovers in the first half as the Purple Raiders went on to a 51-7
victory in its Ohio Athletic Conference opener Saturday in
Cleveland.

Sophomore quarterback Neal
Seaman (Louisville/Louisville) completed 20-of-25 passes for
260 yards with three touchdown passes as he led Mount Union to a
2-0 start and the nation's best 45th consecutive regular season
victory.

His top targets again were senior All-Americans in wide receiver
Cecil
Shorts III (Cleveland/Collinwood) and tight end Kyle
Miller (Elida/Elida). Shorts had five catches for 78
yards and a pair of touchdowns, while Miller had four catches for
66 yards and a touchdown.

The Mount Union defense held the Blue Streaks to just 215 yards
of total offense and forced six turnovers. Senior defensive
end Lambert
Budzinski (Canton/Massillon Jackson) had six tackles and 2.5
sacks to lead the unit.

Mount Union running back Scott
Panchik (Natrona Hts./Highlands), who returned to the field for
the first time since suffering an injury in the second round of
last year's NCAA Playoffs, rushed for 62 yards on a game-high 14
carries and his three yard touchdown run got Mount Union on the
board midway through the first quarter.

John Carroll (0-2) fumbled the football on the very next play
from scrimmage as senior linebacker Sam
Kershaw (West Jefferson/West Jefferson) forced and recovered
the fumble for the Raiders.

Three plays later Seaman hooked up with Shorts from 10 yards out
and extended the lead to 14-0.

The Blue Streaks then made its deepest penetration into Mount
Union territory and faced a fourth down play from the Raiders
34-yard line. Michael Locke's pass was complete to Kyle
Hubbard streaking toward the end zone, but he fumbled the football
on the three yard line and Mount Union linebacker Arthur
Smith (Miami, Fla./Killian) recovered in the end zone for a
touchback.

The Raiders then grinded out a 16-play drive that was finished
off when Seaman hit senior tight end Kyle Miller (Elida/Elida) for
a 12-yard scoring strike, then Mount Union got the ball back again
just before halftime and junior fullback Wes Ryder (Dayton/Belmont)
ran it in from 17 yards out to make it 28-0 at the half.

Seaman hit Shorts on a 38-yard scoring strike on the first drive
of the second half, another John Carroll fumble set up a short
field and junior running back Zac
Lemmon (Granville/Granville) then punched it in from two yards
out gave the Raiders a 42-0 lead with 10 minutes to go in the third
quarter.

Sophomore kicker Tyler
Almeida (Elyria/Elyria) then kicked field goals from 34, 22 and
23 yards to send the score to 51-0.

John Carroll avoided the shutout as they forced a Mount Union
fumble and a two-yard touchdown run by Devin O'Brien with 33
seconds left made the 51-7 final.